Connections Podcast

Can building new, high-end housing units help increase the supply of affordable housing? A new working paper says it can. Economist Evan Mast of the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research studied the effect that luxury housing construction had on relieving pressure on rents across the housing market. His research shows that when a household moves into a new, more expensive unit, it creates a so-called musical chair effect, vacating an existing unit at a lower price point. The chain-like

Should place names that are racist or offensive be changed? WXXI reporter and producer Veronica Volk traveled to places throughout the Greater Rochester area, asking residents that question. The responses were varied, and in some cases, controversial. She joins us to discuss her reporting , and we talk about when and why names should be changed and how the history of those places should be taught. In studio: Veronica Volk , WXXI reporter and producer Erik McNair, vice president of Wayne Action

We're joined by Dr. Rahul Gupta, former public health commissioner for West Virginia, for a conversation about the state of the opioid crisis in America. West Virginia has the highest age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths involving opioids, and during his time as health commissioner, Gupta led a series of initiatives to try to combat the crisis. He's now the chief medical and health officer for the March of Dimes. Gupta is in Rochester for a presentation at the Rochester Museum and Science

Governor Andrew Cuomo says a climate action bill is not among his priorities for the final days of the legislative session. And while some Democrats in Albany are pushing to pass the Climate and Community Protection Act, it appears that the session will end without significant climate action. Our guests discuss their views on what the state could do to address climate change. They also discuss their expectations for state action, given complete Democratic control. Sue Hughes-Smith, environmental

Adam Bello is running for Monroe County Executive. He’s the county clerk, and the former supervisor of the Town of Irondequoit. The Democrat is challenging Republican incumbent Cheryl Dinolfo. We discuss Bello’s views on county government. It’s the first in our series of interviews with the candidates for county executive.

While Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren calls for a state takeover of the Rochester City School Board, candidates are hoping the voters will decide who runs the school system. The June 25th primary will proceed, despite the chaos. This is the second in a series of conversations with the candidates. In studio: Amy Maloy Willa Powell Judy Davis

Voters often say that they have very little information to evaluate candidates for judgeships. We sit down with candidates for Rochester City Court Judge; they discuss why they’re running, and how they view the various issues pertaining to justice in the law. This is the first of two hours with candidates. In studio: Mark Muoio Aaron Frazier Nicole Morris

What does it mean to be an active citizen? That's a central question of an upcoming event in Rochester called Civic Saturday . It's an initiative of Citizen University, founded by a former member of the Clinton Administration. Eric Liu was the deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy. He joins us to discuss how to build civic fellowships and new civic traditions. Our guests: Eric Liu , co-founder and CEO of Citizen University , and former deputy assistant for domestic policy to

In the current political climate, conversations about refugees often focus on numbers and policies. But both refugees and organizations helping them transition into their new lives want the public to understand the human side of their journeys. A number of local events honoring that experience will be held in advance of the United Nations’ World Refugee Day on June 20. According to the UN, the day commemorates “the strength, courage and perseverance of millions of refugees” who were forced to

Providers of preschool special education say Monroe County went back on its promise to raise the reimbursement rate for services across the board by 15 percent. As reported by Justin Murphy in the Democrat and Chronicle on Thursday, the promise was more nuanced than it seemed at first. Representatives for the county say there are misunderstandings and misinformation. We talk to a spokesperson for the county, as well as providers and advocates, about how the issue is impacting families who have